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beset

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beset

  • /bɪˈsɛt/ UK
  • /bəˈsɛt/ US
  • /bi-/ US

Rhymes with -ɛt

Where it comes from

From Middle English besetten, bisetten (“to besiege, blockade; to fill, occupy; to harass, beset; to allot, bestow; to arrange, manage; to place, set; to provide for; to treat in a certain way”), from Old English besettan, bisettan (“to surround, beset; to set near; etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic *bisattjan, from Proto-Germanic *bisatjaną (“to fill, occupy”), from *bi- (prefix meaning ‘at; by’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“at; near; on”)) + *satjaną (“to place down, set”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”)). By surface analysis, be- (prefix meaning ‘around; by, close to, near, next to’) + set.

cognates

* Danish besætte (“to occupy; obsess”)

* Dutch bezetten (“to sit in; occupy; fill”)

* German besetzen (“to seize; occupy; garrison”)

* German Low German besetten (“to occupy”)

* Saterland Frisian besätte (“to occupy”)

* Swedish besätta (“to fill; occupy; beset”)

* West Frisian besette (“to occupy”)

verb besets · besetting · beset

  1. transitive To assail or attack (someone) from all sides; to set about. He that hath read Seneca or Boethius, is well provided against any ordinary misfortune; and to have by heart the story of Argalus and Parthenia; the dolorous madrigals of old Plangus in the Arcadia; or the history of Pyramus and Thisbe, is a never failing remedy for the mubble-fubbles: For to be acq

    Similar: beleaguer, badger, bait, bedevil, persecute, dog, bullyrag, besiege, bug, devil, beset, chevy

  2. transitive To occupy and block (an entrance, a passage, etc.), especially to prevent people from passing.
  3. transitive To decorate (someone or something) by surrounding with accessories, etc.

    Similar: bedazzle, bejewel, bespangle

  4. archaic, transitive Followed by with: to encircle or surround (someone or something); to hem in. For thou, deere Lord, thou me besett'st; / Thy rodd and thy staff be / To comfort me: […]

    Similar: bebay, environ, inbind, umbeset

  5. archaic, transitive To trap (a ship) within frozen sea; to ice in.

    Similar: bebay, environ, inbind, umbeset

  6. figuratively, transitive Of dangers, difficulties, enemies, etc.: to negatively affect (someone or something); to trouble. Fred Brentnall, in his squeaky lorikeet voice reads to the House Lawson's last two stanzas, just to highlight the danger besetting the colony of Queensland, indeed, the whole country:[…]
  7. archaic, often, transitive Of soldiers, etc.: to surround (a place) to compel surrender; to besiege.
  8. obsolete, transitive To capture (an animal); to ensnare, to entrap.
  9. obsolete, transitive To arrange or set (something) in order.
  10. obsolete, transitive To give (something); to bestow, to present.
  11. obsolete, transitive To spend or use (something, such as effort, money, time, or words).
  12. obsolete, transitive Followed by on or upon: to place or set (love, trust, etc.) on someone.
  13. obsolete, transitive To be appropriate or fitting for (something); to become, to befit.
  14. intransitive, obsolete Followed by with: to accord or go well with something.

Opposite: unbeset

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: chevy, set upon, chivvy, harry, provoke, harass, hassle, molest, encrust, chivy, plague, chevvy, trapped, faced, impacted, hit

verb

Opposite: unbeset

Translations

Every language

verb to encircle or surround (someone or something)

Españolcercar, circuir, circundar, sitiar
Portuguêscercar
Italianocircondare
Românăîmpresura
Русскийосажда́ть osaždátʹ, осади́ть osadítʹ, тесни́ть tesnítʹ, потесни́ть pf or стесни́ть potesnítʹ
العربيةاِكْتَنَفَ iktanafa

verb to assail or attack (someone) from all sides

Españolasediar, sitiar
中文圍攻 /围攻 wéigōng
Italianoassediare, assaltare
Русскийосажда́ть osaždátʹ, осади́ть osadítʹ, тесни́ть tesnítʹ, потесни́ть pf or стесни́ть potesnítʹ

verb to occupy and block (an entrance, a passage, etc.), especially to prevent people from passing

中文封堵 fēngdǔ, 堵塞

verb to decorate (someone or something) by surrounding with accessories, etc. — see also decorate

Italianoincastonare
Русскийукраша́ть ukrašátʹ, укра́сить ukrásitʹ

verb to trap (a ship) within frozen sea

Italianoincagliare

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Cite this
MLA

"beset." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/beset. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

beset. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/beset

Chicago

"beset." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/beset.

BibTeX
@misc{beset_2026,
  title = {beset},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/beset},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}